Think the Phillies aren’t feeling the Mets roaring up behind them in the standings?

Well, think again. If anyone needed proof that Philadelphia is panicking in the wake of the Amazin’s nine-game winning streak enetering the All-Star Break, they only have to look at what the Phillies gave Oakland to acquire right-hander Joe Blanton tonight. Blanton was one of the hottest items on the trade market during the offseason, as the durable A’s starter at least 194 innings for the third straight season, and went 14-10 with a 3.95 ERA. However, after Oakland GM Billy Beane traded a different valuable commodity, starter Dan Haren, to the Diamondbacks for several top propsects, he ended up hanging onto Blanton after failing to get what he wanted.

But when Blanton pitched poorly this year (5-12, 4.96 ERA), it was widely assumed that his stock would drop much lower than where it was over the winter – at least until now, when the Phillies panicked and unloaded their No. 2 overall prospect, 2B Adrian Cardenas, and No. 4 overall prospect, LHP Josh Outman (rankings according to Baseball America) and OF Matt Spencer, one of Philadelphia’s two third-round picks in the 2007 draft.

Cardenas, 20, is hitting .309 with four home runs, 23 RBI and 16 stolen bases in 69 games with High-A Clearwater. Outman, 23, is 5-4 with a 3.20 ERA in 33 games (five starts) with Double-A Reading, and Spencer, 22, is hitting .249 with six home runs and 41 RBI in 84 games with Clearwater.